Danish Crown Prince Visit: 70 Years Since Holocaust Rescue

Danish Crown Prince pays first visit to Israel and Yad Vashem, commemorates 70 years from rescue of Danish Jews from Holocaust.

By Ari Yashar

First Publish: 10/30/2013, 9:07 AM

Yad Vashem Holocaust museum Hall of Names

Yad Vashem Press Office

On Wednesday the Danish Crown Prince Frederik will make his first visit to Israel in commemoration of 70 years since the rescue of Danish Jews from the Holocaust, and will visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem.

According to the Official Homepage of the Danish Monarchy, the Crown Prince's visit was timed to coincide with the rescue of Danish Jews in October 1943, in which more than 7,000 Jews were sent to safety in Sweden.

The Homepage goes on to detail that in his visit the Prince will be accompanied by the Danish education minister, and at Yad Vashem will attend a memorial concert by Jerusalem's symphony orchestra, an event arranged by the "Danmarks Venner i Israel" ("Denmark's Friends in Israel") and "Danskere i Israel" ("The Danes in Israel") organizations.

Israeli President Shimon Peres is also slated to meet the Danish Prince, with their talk to focus on bilateral relations and the 70 year commemoration.

Recently there has been some questioning of the role Denmark played in the Holocaust, as the nation had relations with Nazi Germany even as it supported its own Jews.

Nevertheless, the rescue of 7,000 Jews, roughly 95% of Denmark's total Jewish population, is an inspiring story from an otherwise horrific period. Jews in Denmark reportedly were viewed by their non-Jewish neighbors as fellow countrymen, and King Christian X is said to have worn the Star of David in sympathy for the Jewish plight.